


Heartsong

by LiliannaBelle (Tam)



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-20
Updated: 2015-04-20
Packaged: 2018-03-24 22:53:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,152
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3787363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tam/pseuds/LiliannaBelle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Wishful thinking follow-on missing scene from ep 4x18, after Belle walks away. For whoever said on tumblr they could imagine how it would be if Rumple is the one to return Belle's heart (I believe they used the expression that he would treat her like spun glass when he returned it) along with the hope that Belle not be left without it for longer than that scene.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Heartsong

Rumple’s heart pounded in his chest as Regina considered his proposed deal. He already knew she would take it. There were advantages to having crafted a witch from day one—Regina had built-in tells—a quirk of her lips, a flick of her hair, the slant of her eyes to the left or right depending on her inclination—in this case she would relent, her hesitation was merely that of a cat toying with a mouse she had already decided to favor. Little did this mangy feline know how she would pay for this act. No one took his wife’s heart and played with it like this. And to think Belle didn’t understand why he felt they needed protection. Oh Regina would pay, and pay _dearly,_ when the time was right. After all, did anyone know better than Rumpelstiltskin how to bide their time?

For now Regina’s smirk and nod was all he needed. She gained his tacit acceptance of her ridiculous plans to travel, and in return he accepted his wife’s precious heart—glowing with the purest warm light he had ever seen—into his carefully cupped hands. He ignored Regina’s parting quip, intent only on catching up to Belle.

He met his young wife on the edge of the woods, her usual impractical footwear keeping her steps slow enough that he had been able to pace her for a while, just basking in her presence, but at the same time wary of whatever enchantment Regina had cast over her. To walk home and to forget this incident—that much he could not overwrite, and he had no wish to cause Belle any distress. He didn’t know the extent to which Regina forcefully taking her heart had frightened Belle either, so if he could return it while keeping her unawares that seemed the kinder route. 

But his own heart gave a twinge of agony to think Belle would have no memory of that startling forgiveness she had bestowed upon him—he could scarcely believe it, but she had said she could understand. It had been real, he had seen it in her eyes, felt it in her kiss before Regina had jerked her away from him. When he felt Belle suddenly pull back from him for one dreadful heart-stopping moment he had thought he had gone too far, that a kiss had been too presumptuous and he had overstepped his mark, as careful and as chaste as he had tried to be. 

Then he had locked eyes with her, and ice slipped down his spine, nearly stopping his own weakened heart. Her gaze had been so cold, so different—it clearly wasn’t her anymore.

He shuddered. She still wasn’t her. He couldn’t stand it any longer. 

“Belle.”

She stopped in her tracks, her movements still with the loose-limbed echo of a marionette, awaiting the next instruction from whoever held her heart. Well, he could change that—he could return her heart and return her sovereignty, but none could ever do the same for him; it was too late for him. He couldn’t do anything about how strongly she held his—nor would he, not for all the power in this realm or any other one. If only he could make her see that. It was only her, and his beloved child. Her and Bae, it had only ever been them, about keeping them safe—even if it was safe from him.

She was waiting, as if suspended in time, her breath misting in the chilled forest air. He approached her slowly, cautiously. How he longed to gather her in his arms again, to banish the chill from her slight frame in his embrace, to take her home, tucked in close. One kiss was not enough, he ached to claim her full lips, her soft cheeks, her sweet scent…being so close to her so briefly was such fleeting bliss and such sweet torture he could scarcely breathe.

Only when he was almost upon her, watching her closely for any reaction did he accept she wasn’t about to sling another barb at him—of course not, that was all Regina after all. This was Belle, not Milah.

It was tempting—to quiz her, to find out how Regina had taken her heart in the first place—but Belle had had enough people take advantage of her in a not quite conscious state, he wouldn’t add to that list. He would have to trust his beautiful innocent wife. It was his job to protect her after all. Today was just another day when he had failed in that role, and the knowledge of that failure slid cold like a blade through his ribs. It never hurt any less than when he had failed his first wife.

He stood in front of her now and she lifted her face to his. Blank. Trusting.

Rumpelstiltskin blinked once. Twice. Then steeled himself.

“Take a deep breath and relax my love, and this won’t hurt…that’s it, sweetheart.”

And it wouldn’t, because he told her it wouldn’t, because _this_ he could do for her, a simple murmured suggestion to soothe the discomfort.

He shifted Belle’s heart to his right hand. Moving slowing so as not to startle her, he placed his left hand on her shoulder delicately, closing the distance between them.

“That’s it, good girl, deep breath now.” He rubbed her shoulder calmly, the touch distracting her, holding her eyes with his own as he slowly and painstakingly carefully placed her heart back in her chest.

Belle’s lips parted slightly in a silent gasp but she didn’t break his gaze.

“There now,” he whispered, not breaking her trance, “did that hurt, sweetheart?”

She shook her head, her eyes round.

“You’ll be all right, love. You keep walking back. I’ll watch over you. Don’t worry about anything. Know…know that your husband loves you. He will always love you.”

His voice broke then. She stared at him.

He bit back a hundred other things he wanted to say. There was no point, it would only begin to conflict with Regina’s instructions to forget what had passed and he didn’t want to distress or confuse Belle. Heartspells were not to be trifled with.

It took all of Rumple’s strength to step back from Belle then. A small look of sadness and confusion crossed her face anyway, marring her beautiful features and dulling her bright blue eyes. But only for a moment before she defaulted back to following Regina’s instructions, her feet continuing on her path home.

Rumple stepped out of her way, swallowing hard. Tears momentarily blurred his vision as he watched his wife walk away from him.

But not for long, he promised himself. Not much longer now. He was close. And he had more than that he had dared even dream of: hope. His fingers ghosted over his lips. Hope of her forgiveness, and her love.


End file.
